How iOS 11 Tracking Options improve Privacy for users

Apple's iOS 11 is perhaps the answer to the lingering privacy concerns about persistent tracking, as it offers a better way to know the apps that are tracking users, and afford users the ability to allow only apps that are suited to their privacy requirements.

While Apple’s guidelines for background location services do allow for specific needs, such as with navigation or fitness apps, in-app information flow revealed that location (and other private data) may be sent without appropriate disclosure.

For instance, Uber (and potentially other location apps) gathering information from users when the app isn't quite in use.

Apple made available a visual cue in the status bar, but users have difficulties spotting it, as many do not know what the tiny arrow that appears and disappears actually stand for, after all.

With iOS 11 friendly user-interface, Apple has made it a lot clearer, and also applying "the carrot and stick" formula to improve the privacy of users.

Apple has made a change in iOS 11, that will affect all apps old and new. And Every app that asks for "Always" permission, also has to provide an option for "While Using". And Apple suggested a better practice: for a developer to ask for While Using permission first; if granted, then allows them to ask for "Always" authorization.

Asking for permission is allowed just once for "Always", which if a user turns down, can only be enabled via Settings, if they change their mind later. By the stages in the request, Apple believes developers would get a higher success rate for in-app only tracking while also reducing the scope of what apps get from users.